Another death by an XL Bully

Chestnut

MayBee70

I don’t think walking across a common is going about one’s daily business. To be fair, Luckygirl, I agree with much of what you say about dogs and their owners but you do actually seem to have a deep seated hatred of all dogs.

Walking across a common is perfectly legal and a valid form of exercise, so it is one's daily business.

I agree with Luckygirl's last post and what if she does have a hatred of dogs? You say it like an accusation, but everyone is allowed to either love them or hate them, just as they can love or hate anything. It is hardly surprising that people are developing such a dislike of dogs, when there are so many of them jumping, scaring and biting people. We have a deluge of bad owners, but it's the dogs that do the damage and therefore the dogs that people dislike.

I really didn’t mean to be nasty. I guess I’m really angry with the sort of irresponsible dog owners that give other dogs and their owners such a bad name. I also can’t explain to people that dislike dogs how much joy our dogs give to many of us. Part of the problem is how empathic dogs are and how they pick up on things like the aggression in their owners. Dogs can sense fear or sadness in people and react accordingly. And every owner should be in control of their dogs at all times, that’s why my whippet is only let off lead when there is no one around. Gentle as she is at 35 mph she could easily run into someone. And I left a whippet walking group because I disagreed with the way they walked their dogs off lead in a group because I know that some people are scared of dogs.

I don’t want to see all dogs muzzled either. Mine is muzzled when she goes to the vet in case she reacts to any pain or discomfort caused, but she never has. She has been muzzle trained but nevertheless being muzzled causes her considerable distress - I realise that wouldn’t bother someone who wants all dogs to be muzzled, but it concerns responsible dog owners. She is always on a strong and quite short lead outside our property. Despite her size she is extremely gentle with people and loves meeting them.

Totally agree with this luckygirl
We need to move away from the idea that dog owning is a right. We do not have the right to own guns (or tigers and lions)
I like dogs on the whole, some more than others, but I m getting totally fed up with them being everywhere, in shops, cafes, restaurants, craft fairs, pavilions. Had our coats wee’d on on the beach while the owners were completely out of earshot, deep in conversation Even if they are not violent I just wish people would not see them as a item that they can’t leave the house without
My dog used to get two good walks a day the rest of the time she was at home, not at work with me, or shopping with me, or going to the restaurant with me

Yes I agree with that BlueBelle why do some people find it necessary to take their dogs everywhere with them. I have seen dogs here being trailed around busy markets and fetes when it's really hot, not enjoyable at all for the poor dog.
My two stay happily at home for a maximum of four hours, they have three walks a day and the freedom to go anywhere in the house.
We had an acquaintance who never visited our house even though we went to hers. This was because we had at that time a rescue dog who was unpredictable when other dogs came in our house. She would not go anywhere without her dog.

Sadly some people see them as their children.

Sadly, some refer to them as fur babies. Nope- they’re dogs. My two are much loved members of the family, they know their place in our family pack- well below the youngest grandchild

Spot on.

MayBee70

I don’t think walking across a common is going about one’s daily business. To be fair, Luckygirl, I agree with much of what you say about dogs and their owners but you do actually seem to have a deep seated hatred of all dogs.

I am puzzled as to why going for a walk is not seen as "going about one's daily business." Perhaps you could clarify this.

Would the words "going for a walk" suit better?

I do not have a hatred of dogs - and even if I did that would be irrelevant to the discussion about keeping people safe - but am simply realistic about the danger they can pose and keen to see this dealt with.

They can be a true blight - and the increasing deaths are evidence of this. Wider dog ownership; the proliferation of breeds unsuitable for the domestic setting; people owning dogs without having the good sense and social conscience to keep them properly; and the unfortunate presence of owners who treat the pets as children and demand the same rights for them - and think they can do no wrong and others should regard them in the same way.

Realistically it can't go on.

I have had some seriously bad experiences with dogs. I am not happy about that. Why would I be?

On the local news this evening - an outdoor swimming pool (for humans) where dogs are allowed to swim rapt the moment. Wd are reassured that all fur/hair will be removed and the water will be cleansed afterwards but surely people, especially children, might have enjoyed a dip as this weekend is forecast to be warm?

Dogs are not children. They should not be eating off plates in restaurants and cafés, swimming in public pools or dressed up in clothes.

I like most dogs. I have owned dogs but they are animals, not fur babies.

rapt? Not sure what that was.
Autocorrect?

I am puzzled as to why going for a walk is not seen as "going about one's daily business." Perhaps you could clarify this

Common:
Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel.

I used to walk to work across a common where someone exercised their rights to graze their goats.
The goats used to terrify me, very aggressive creatures.

We have lovely dairy cows on ours - their milk goes to make the ice cream that is manufactured in the village.

My friend was nearly killed by one of her own cows. She’s lucky to be alive.

They are behind an electric fence on our common. MayBee70 - I am sorry to hear about your friend - similar happened here in a local field.

Dee1012 has given the most informed, comprehensive reply. We have a Staffordshire terrier X American bully who is a boisterous boy but very friendly, obedient and loving.
We are a professional family living in what would be considered a 'nice' area probably far from the stereotype described by many contributors on here.
We take our responsibility with him very seriously and keep him on a lead simply because he's boisterous and could knock someone over.
Our previous Staffordshire was savagely attacked and seriously injured by a Golden Retriever which was unleashed in the park with two small girls.
A friend has needed stitches after being badly bitten by a Cocker spaniel.
Maybe ALL dogs should be leashed and muzzled.

All dogs are capable of attacking people or other dogs. The difference is that American Bully’s are capable of killing people. I don’t remember hearing of someone being killed by a spaniel or retriever. I’m wary of all dogs when I’m walking mine.

You can give as many examples as you like solitaire but an XL bully is a unique man made animal and can be deadly
Why would you ?

Our local park has a car parking area near the entrance, then a long path through a field leads to the cafe and children's play area.

It used to be that the children's area was fenced off, with prominent 'No Dogs' signs on the gates. Now (progress?) it's only fenced on two sides - with a tiny 'No dogs' sign on a pergola. There were people in there with kids and dogs on Saturday.

I've always thought it wrong that we walk our children down that path, while people let excited dogs out of cars to run free. Now, of course, it's even worse, with not a safe space anywhere!

I will complain to the council (yet again) as I think all dogs should be on leads in there - and the fences should go straight back up. There are nearby fields and the riverbank for those who insist that their dogs 'need' to run off lead. My little JRT doesn't - she just zooms around the garden in a figure of 8 when we get back home!

I don’t know how my suggestion that every dog owner must commit to training classes could be enforced. There are so many reactive dogs now, it must be contributing to the increasing population of reactive dogs.
My happy young lab was upset when on lead by two adult male labs, off lead with their owner no where in sight. One humping him at the front, the other at the rear. Another occasion a Jack Russell had a go at him, grabbing his neck. My husband kicked the jr away. Recently, we were walking nicely, on lead near the Sunday park run my grandchildren were running in. Off lead spaniel jumping all over my on lead dog. He stayed calm but was getting wound up. The owner eventually strolled into view but inevitably he’d no recall and worse no idea a fight was likely. No simple canine manners - never allow your off lead dog to approach an on lead dog.

So two more women mauled by a dog believed to be an XL bully today I only heard the headlines on the radio so don’t know how badly they were hurt or how it happened but it sounded as if the dog was destroyed 🤷🏼‍♀️

I was listening to the radio in the car last week on my way out, there was a lady who sounded American the programme was about not just xl bullies but about dog attacks .I had missed the beginning of the chat but there must have bee a lady on prior talking about an attack.
Anyway this American lady was describing what to do if we are ever confronted with a vicious dog.

That we should try and curl up in a ball with our knees up and our chin tucked into our neck (for obvious reasons) and to cover our head with our arms and try! to lie still!

By the time she had finished it made you pretty scared to think you may have to do this.

Later on in the week my dd and myself went for a walk in the Memorial park where we live, coming out of the gate was this lady with 3 dogs, one a big old spaniel and 2 other presume mongrels all on leads and sat down quiet, she said she had come back out of the park as there were tow lads with xl bully off lead! she said she was a paramedic and had dealt with dog bites in the past. It was no use speaking to these lads as any interaction would have probably caused conflict.

What I am seeing round my town and area is, that I am noticing more x bully types with usually men/lads, it is like they have come out of the woodwork and are quite proud to show off their big dogs.

The press is reporting yet another attack by an off lead xlbully. This took place at Salford Quays/media city. A party of primary school age children and teachers attacked, a small girl bitten on her finger, her coat ripped off. Two men arrived, dragged the dog off, hurled abuse at the teachers and disappeared before police arrived.
Yet still, some people say it isn’t the dog, it’s the owners. Originally, These dogs were. Red to attack, fight and kill. Add to that the kind of people who generally choose these dogs and it’s a disaster waiting to happen

It's utterly depressing hearing all these stories. How will we ever be safe from these selfish and aggressive owners? I think they just see everyone else as getting in their way. Other people and dogs are just an annoyance, they don't see them as having the right be there. They have no sense of community, they just think of themselves.

With people like that how will any kind of controls be enforced? Any owner can slip their dog off the lead at any time, who will be there to challenge them or enforce the use of leads or muzzles?

It's utterly depressing hearing all these stories. How will we ever be safe from these selfish and aggressive owners?
By charging, trying and imprisoning them.
One man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after his XLBully dog killed someone recently.

One of The problems is that so often the owners have no idea about training. Additionally, their first response is to blame or behave aggressively to other people.